


Firecracker

by SisterDuffin



Category: Casualty (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-31 15:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19428373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SisterDuffin/pseuds/SisterDuffin
Summary: New Registrar Lauren has a few harsh words for Ethan following his decision to open the CDU. [An extended scene to Series 32, Episode 24, established OC]





	Firecracker

She’s used to bad days; bad days happen they came with the job. Today however, was one of the worst days she’d encountered for a long time. She yelled before proceeding to punch the locker several times and resting her head against it. She was at breaking point. She was so close to giving it all up. People like Matilda shouldn’t have to die. People like Kam shouldn’t be left seriously injured in ICU because of the government failings.

“You okay?”

She looks up, her eyes falling upon Jacob. She forces a smile and shrugs. Nothing’s exchanged for a minute between the two, “Not really, you?”

“Tomorrow’s another day,” He reminded her, and Lauren couldn’t help but sigh. That was something everyone was saying lately, and it was true, tomorrow was another day but for Matilda it wasn’t. How many people were going to die tomorrow?

How many people had to die before something was done?

She left the staff room and ended up colliding with Ethan and thus exploding. Every emotion from the day’s shift spiralled over and out.

“You made a crap decision today with creating the CDU.”

“Excuse me?”

“You made a crap decision today with creating the CDU,” she repeated herself. She wasn’t afraid of challenging authority, then again, she was a little firecracker ready to explode at times.

“I did what I could.” Ethan tried to explain but Lauren wasn’t having any of it. He was not talking his way out of this one.

“No Ethan, you pushed us to breaking point, again! Our F1’s shouldn’t have been left in that position to run the CDU! They’re F1’s for a reason because they still need our guidance.”

Ethan sighed, “If you’ve got any better suggestions on how I can increase capacity without overstretching the budget, I’d love to hear them.”

She laughed. An angry laugh, that wasn’t a good sign.

“You’ve been acting clinical lead for how long Ethan and you’re already screwing up!”

“Are you questioning how I run this department?”

Lauren wasn’t one to sugar-coat anything, she didn’t become a doctor to be liked by others. Nor did she become a doctor to kiss the arses of her seniors, especially when they were creating messes.

“Yes, I am and I suggest you resign before you screw up this department anymore!

“I think you’re forgetting who you’re talking too, I am your Clinical Lead.”

“Oh, so that means I’m supposed to kiss your arse, does it?”

Duffy sighed heavily when she heard Lauren’s comment. She shook her head before pulling Lauren out of his office before she said something else she later regretted. Lauren always spoke now and thought later. Despite Duffy dragging her away from Ethan’s office, she still managed to yell;

“Mrs Beauchamp is the only one who can run this department effectively and don’t you dare forget that!”

Duffy rolled her eyes before shoving Lauren into the staff room and closing the door behind them.

“Care to explain what your slanging match is all about?”

She exhaled. Duffy was the only person (other than her father) who could ever calm her down. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before she answered;

“I was just saying what a terrible decision the CDU was.”

“Sounds like it,” Duffy answered back dryly, and Lauren rolled her eyes. She really wasn’t in the mood for her godmother’s sarcastic comments. She stepped towards Lauren,

“I know today was hard but—”

“But it’s not Ethan’s fault? Is that what you’re going to say?”

Duffy nodded with a small smile and Lauren exhaled deeply, “He can’t run this department Lisa and he should never have been put in the position too! That was a poor decision by whatever dickhead upstairs, Mr Hanssen no doubt!”

“Lauren!”

She sighed as she switched on the kettle, “I wonder what our anonymous blogger will have to say about all this?”

There was a silence for a moment between the two of them.

“Lauren?”

“Yes?” She turned to look at Duffy after taking two mugs out of the cupboard and placed them by the kettle.

“You’re not behind the blog, are you?”

She smiled slightly and shook her head, “no I wouldn’t be so stupid.”

She made two cups of tea and handed one of the mugs to Duffy before leaning against the counter, “I know what they’re trying to achieve by making people aware of what’s going on in our department, but you said it yourself; we should be attacking the government, not the trust.”

Duffy was secretly relieved that it wasn’t Lauren behind the blog. She didn’t know why she suspected she may have been but then again, Lauren wasn’t always think things through.

“I hope they know what they’re doing.” Lauren said quietly as she stared into her mug. Duffy placed her mug down on the counter and held her arms out, “Hug?”

Lauren laughed as she placed her mug down, “I never thought you’d ask _Auntie_ Lisa.”

She hugged Duffy tightly as Duffy placed a delicate kiss to the side of her head. There wasn’t anything spoken for a minute before Duffy began,

“Sometimes—”

They happen to answer in unison, “the system just can’t take the numbers.”

They both laugh as Lauren steps out of the hug and picks up her mug again.

“Dad’s always said you’re the voice of reason.”

Duffy smiled at Lauren’s comment and there’s a comfortable silence between the two. Lauren’s just staring at the bottom of the mug, knowing she should apologise to Ethan because she was out of order.

“How does a takeaway and a bottle of wine with me and your father sound?”

“Sounds perfect but only if the takeaway can be Chinese?”

“Deal.”

There’s another silence between them before Lauren says quietly, “Love you.”

“Love you too honey.”

As she looks up from her mug, her eyes briefly meet with Ethan’s. She held the contact for a couple of seconds before she broke away with a small sigh.

Tomorrow, she’d apologise, tomorrow.

Tomorrow was a new day.


End file.
